Mother Nature makes rainy appearance at bloom fest
BRADY TWP — The Jennings Environmental Education Center hosted one of Pennsylvanian’s best hidden treasures at the annual Celebrate the Bloom! festival on Saturday, July 29.
Visitors were able to witness the blooming of the eastern-most prairie in the United States as well as take part in a plethora of activities that included live music, bird-watching and kids crafts.
“People love to come see the blazing star and the prairie at peak bloom,” said Brandi Miller-Parrish, an environmental educational specialist. ” People also love to see the goats that help manage the prairie and learn about some of the prairie resource management.“
People from all over state came to marvel at the sights and sounds, including a special visit from Mother Nature in the form of rain.
“It’s part of the fun,” said Sidney Lomper, of Butler. “The rain is part of nature, and that’s what we came out here to see, nature.”
The Jennings Environmental Education Center is one of several Pennsylvania state parks dedicated to providing environmental education and a variety of programs suitable for all ages.
“I think Jennings is a little gem that often gets overlooked,” Miller-Parrish said. “The local population ... don’t have to travel far to see some of the amazing things happening here.”
Sam Hoszwa, of Butler, an amateur botanist, appreciates the timing of Celebrate the Bloom! with the blooming of the prairie.
“I’ve always liked Jennings,” Hoszwa said. “I’ve been coming here for many years. I always like to come out and enjoy the prairie when it’s in full bloom and check out the festival.”
Jennings was the first reserve established in Pennsylvania to protect an individual plant species and remains the only public and protected prairie in the commonwealth.
“There’s always things changing,” said Parrish. “We have this very small 300-acre park, but there is so much it has to offer — not only in natural resources but also in cultural resources.”
